The present invention relates to apparatus, and to methods utilizing such apparatus, for displaying information regarding objects, and particularly to such apparatus and methods useful in a hospital setting.
Physicians and medical providers examine patients several times per day in various patient settings, such as hospital wards. During each round, the physicians move along a public corridor, entering each room to examine the status of the patient(s) and equipment in the room. Each such system thus includes a plurality of wards, each including a plurality of patient rooms, arranged along a public pathway (corridor), and a database in which information regarding object(s), such as patients and equipment, is stored.
Various types of systems have been developed to prevent contamination and/or breach of privacy.
In one type of system, an enclosure, pliable or rigid, is applied over a terminal to prevent physical contamination, and is disposed after exposed to the patient. As one example, an enclosure, such as a bag or sleeve, is applied over a thermometer when used for measuring the temperature of a patient, and is disposed after the enclosure has been exposed to the patient. In this example, a visual or audible alarm is activated when the thermometer is not protected by the enclosure.
Another type of system is used to prevent a breach of privacy. For example, in a system including a plurality of wards arranged along a public corridor, a terminal, used for reviewing and updating information stored in the database with respect to the object(s) in the wards, is automatically locked when not used for a specified time. The terminal may also be locked when an authorized logged-in user is located at a distance greater than one specified, thereby requiring the user to re-login. If the required re-logins become too frequent, the user may become disinclined to use this type of system in view of the interference with workflow.